


no one compares to you

by ackermanx



Category: Warbreaker - Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 11:48:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19228552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ackermanx/pseuds/ackermanx
Summary: nonne of this is fair - one person shouldn't be this smug about cleaning, of all things, Vasher shouldn't love her this much because of it.but it's all an unfortunate, unstoppable series of events, and Vasher can't think of anything else to do other than maybe tell Vivenna that he loves her.





	no one compares to you

**Author's Note:**

> times I died writing this fic: 5
> 
> VIVASHER CLUB MAKE SOME NOISE . this is based on a modern roadtrip au borrowed from my friends!! I've taken some liberties with it, including
> 
> 1) vivenna n vasher go on a roadtrip every year, they alternate who picks the location
> 
> 2) vasher and susebron were roommates for a year before susebron moved in with siri; they never really saw each other tho bc of conflicting schedules
> 
> this entire fic is just my love letter to vivenna. please enjoy im gay

"So, um, listen," Vivenna's voice comes through Vasher's phone speaker, tinny and small, "my family finally wants to meet you?"

Vasher snorts. "Is that supposed to be a question?"

"You know what? Shut up."

Barking out a laugh, Vasher finally abandons any pretense of organizing his desk and pushes everything to the side. "What I was _trying_  to say," Vivenna barges on, "is that my family wants me home for winter break. And they want you with me."

"And do I get a say in this?"

"No. I already told them yes."

Vasher snorts again, but with a little more malice. Vivenna just huffs, blowing air directly into her microphone. "Well I, for one, would love to see you try to resist Siri's puppy eyes."

"I'm coming over, aren't I? You'll get your wish."

"Oh, I can't _wait_  - " and Vasher is only half processing how overly gleeful Vivenna sounds because he's looking at his calendar and is finally realizing how close the holidays are.

"How much time do I have to pack?" Vasher interrupts her, "because I don't know if you're aware of this, but some people have to clean in order to look presentable."

"And I don't know if _you're_  aware of this, but I've offered to come over and clean your apartment for you. I will literally drive myself over, bring my own supplies, and clean your place. For free."

Vasher opens his mouth to protest - he can take care of himself, thank you very much - thinks for a few seconds, and then closes it. Because if there's one thing that he's learned from dating this girl, it's that once she sets her mind on something, no one can talk her out of it.

"Okay," he finds himself saying. "I'll make you a deal, then: if we both come out of this alive, I'll let you come over and clean if you still want to. Satisfied?"

"Satisfied," Vivenna says, and Vasher can almost hear the smile in her voice. None of this is fair - one person shouldn't be this smug about cleaning, of all things, Vasher shouldn't love her this much because of it.

But it's all an unfortunate, unstoppable series of events, and Vasher can't think of anything else to do other than maybe tell Vivenna that he loves her. And then maybe let the soaring feeling in his chest take over when she says it back, softly but with feeling.

"Disgusting," he mutters to himself after Vivenna has hung up and his phone screen has gone dark. It's been years since that first road trip, years since Vasher had realized how much he had fallen for Vivenna, years since they had tentatively gotten together. And yet he still feels the same rush of affection every time they manage to meet, even though he's still terrible at showing it.

Well. His brain can overthink this all that it wants. _He_  has five days to find everything that he needs for a two-week long visit to the family.

* * *

 

The sound of a car honking outside Vasher's window wakes him up at - good god, is it really five AM?

He drags himself out of bed, through the apartment, and flings open the front door to see Vivenna grinning at him from her car.

"You're joking," he deadpans.

"Get in the car!" Vivenna yells, grin only increasing in intensity.

It takes far too long to get Vasher's one suitcase and one backpack into the trunk, and then they're sitting side-by-side with bad pop music playing in the background. "You're lucky that all my neighbors are still asleep," Vasher mutters, trying his best to look angry. But he can't quite do it - his heart isn't really in it, and he's sure he ends up looking somewhat constipated before Vivenna bursts into laughter.

"Hi," she says, face softening into a smile, and Vasher thinks, _this can't be good for me._

"Hi," he manages to choke out. _Good going. Not awkward at all._

"Nervous?"

Vasher sighs. "…A little. I've never actually talked to them directly, I don't know what I should be expecting. And I can't say I like the feeling."

"I mean…you know Susebron, right? Just imagine two more of him. But the other two aren't as strangely innocent as he is. And could probably run what Siri calls 'a mean Presidential campaign,' if they actually tried."

"I hope you know that this isn't making me feel any better."

"Guess we just have to rip off the band-aid, don't we?" Vivenna flashes a smile, but Vasher can see the matching nervousness in her eyes. "And besides, we still have a deal to go through with."

Vasher sits back in his seat and folds his arms. "You really aren't going to let that go, are you?"

Vivenna turns the engine on, turns up the radio, and looks at Vasher out of the corner of her eyes.

"No," she says, and steps on the gas.

* * *

 

The first thing that Vasher notices as Vivenna pulls up to her house is the ear-splitting screech resounding in the air that takes the vague shape of Vivenna's name.

The second thing that he notices is the figure charging out the front door and towards the car - which he notes must be Vivenna's younger sister, Siri, because no fifty-year-old should have such good skin or so much…energy.

Siri reaches the car just as Vivenna rolls her window down all the way, and sticks her head in. "Viv! You're here, thank the gods, Mom's been wearing holes in the carpet from pacing. And you brought your boyfriend with you? Hey, I'm Siri, I have heard _so_  much about you."

And then she winks at him.

Completely at a loss for words, Vasher can only wave in response.

Vivenna reaches out a hand and ruffles Siri's hair, hard. "Hey, let me at least park first before you start overwhelming the poor kid. Look at him, he can't even come up with a smart remark."

Vasher raises an eyebrow. "I am _not_  a kid."

Vivenna tilts her head as if to say _there it is._

Siri tries to stifle a giggle and fails miserably.

Vasher just feels attacked.

Finally, despite all the chaos, the car does get safely deposited in a garage. Siri looks ready to bounce off of the walls in excitement - which is only proved when she stands in place and yells "MOM! DAD! THEY'RE HERE!"

"Is she…always like this?" Vasher asks once Siri has dashed away and the ringing in his ears has stopped.

Vivenna shrugs. "If it's any consolation, I know that you'll get used to it."

"You know that I'll get used to it?"

"There's no escaping Siri," Vivenna mumbles out of the side of her mouth. Vasher feels the corners of his mouth lift - and when Siri runs back outside to declare that "you're going so slowly, c'mon!", he can't help thinking that…maybe he could get used to this.

* * *

 

Vivenna was right - her parents (both of them) remind Vasher of Susebron with less anxiety.

They greet him with perfect civility and grasp his hands in a handshake so firm that Vasher starts worrying about his blood circulation. Nothing too heavy is discussed, but he does get wrung through all the typical questions (what are your intentions with our daughter, she seems happier with you and make sure not to mess that up _or else_ ). And thank the gods that Susebron himself is here, because it means that Vasher can find him in the mess and let out the sigh he hadn't realized he had been holding.

Susebron nods and smiles, the best greeting he can give with a mouthful of food. Vasher offers a small salute and makes himself comfortable in a chair opposite from the man. "Is it like this all the time?" he asks, gesturing at the rest of the residents.

Susebron's eyes widen, and Vasher watches in mild fascination as he attempts to speed-swallow whatever's in his mouth. " _All_ the time," Susebron finally blurts out. "I guess I don't mind, because it's better with someone and I think the parents like me. They're not the best at actually showing emotion, but they do keep inviting me back, and - I asked for permission to marry Siri, and I wasn't even interrogated."

Vasher raises an eyebrow. "You two are getting married? Congrats, really."

All the color drains from Susebron's face. "Oh. Oh no. Don't tell anyone I said that, I haven't even asked her yet."

"Relax, it's safe with me."

There's an awkward pause, during which Vasher wants something, anything to happen. He doesn't get his wish - the chaos of Vivenna's family remains on the other side of the house - but eventually Susebron clears his throat and offers a weak grin.

"So, has the place been quiet with me gone?"

"It was quiet even with you here," Vasher snipes, but the poor attempt at conversation does its job. He feels himself relaxing the more that he talks, and stays that way all the way up until Vivenna comes in to announce that dinner's ready. Then the nerves come back full force, Vasher is about to ask Vivenna if there's any way that he could attend in spirit, but.

But her hand is on his arm, squeezing it gently, and she doesn't look like she's going to leave without Vasher. Just like that, he immediately feels better - Susebron was right, having someone does help.

"Still got a deal to go through with," Vasher grimaces, watching Vivenna's features soften in response. She tugs on his arm softly - _c'mon, let's go_  - and reaches down to twine their fingers together, and Vasher has to use every ounce of self control to not let how much it affects him show on his face.

The last thing he sees before exiting the room is Susebron giving him two thumbs up, which…what is that supposed to mean? But Vasher doesn't have the capacity to worry about that right now, so when the dining room comes into view and he has to force a smile onto his face, he makes himself a promise that he'll think about it.

Later.

* * *

 

Strangely enough, Vasher forgets.

The self-proclaimed master at cramming for exams, the man with enough useless knowledge to fill an encyclopaedia, forgets something. In fact, half of winter break hadn't even passed yet and the list of things that Vasher has let go in one ear and out the other is appalling to him in its length.

The one thing that does stick in his mind - the one thing that has plagued Vasher since he first heard it - is the thought of marriage.

He is not, has never been, and will never be fond of wearing his heart on his sleeve. (Vivenna seems to eternally find this amusing, calling "being nice" his "dark inner secret" in what Vasher thinks is her weirdly convoluted way of flirting.) But he would be lying if he said that he didn't like the idea of calling Vivenna his wife, living in the same house, being able to have a permanent and physical place where he _belonged._

Vasher goes Christmas shopping with Siri and Susebron, four days before the actual holiday, where he feels a weird mix of being present as a friend and being present as a third wheel. He picks up several bottles of much-needed drinks, and something for Vivenna - because this is likely the one and only time he will be willing to brave the crowd of procrastinating shoppers. During one of his third wheel moments, Vasher ducks into a jewelry store impulsively and is immediately intercepted by a saleswoman. He goes along with her questions, pretends to be really looking for an engagement ring, until she smiles at him and goes "she's special to you, isn't she?"

That makes Vasher smile back at her and bolt out of the place as politely as he can. The lady was right - Vivenna is special to him, and their relationship of respect and trust was something that Vasher could have never imagined he'd have for himself. But the problem is, if he thinks about it for too long, his brain feels like it's going to melt.

Even after all this time.

…It's only a little embarrassing.

Unfortunately, Siri catches him trying to make a subtle break for it out of the store, and she's onto him even faster than the saleswoman. "Okay, listen," she declares while Susebron stands in the background ignoring Vasher's silent pleas for help, "we need to have a talk. Not today, maybe not tomorrow, but sometime before we all part ways after break."

"A talk or an inquisition?" Vasher mumbles.

Siri gives him a Look instead of replying, and Vasher instinctively wants to shrink. Vivenna really wasn't lying when she had said her sister was powerful, but it was unfortunate that Vasher had to find out this way. "You better watch out," she says, but Vasher can tell that it's supposed to be teasing.

All he does is roll his eyes. That earns him a punch on the arm from Siri, who then turns away and keeps walking.

"Like I said, we're both going to worry about this another day. Now c'mon, Vivenna said that she wanted us home by ten! We're going to be late!"

* * *

 

Christmas and New Year's pass by in a blur of parties and overly fancy restaurants and distant family members that could probably kill people with their insincere smiles. It's a miracle that Vasher got through it all without stepping on anyone's toes.

Or maybe they were only nice to him because Vivenna was there.

(Either way, Vasher can't bring himself to care much. They were mostly terrible people anyway.)

But the thing that Vasher had been dreading the most - The Talk - never comes. The last day of break approaches and he's convinced that Siri forgot about it, until.

There's a knock on his door. "Come in," Vasher calls, and…Vivenna is the one that enters. She stares at the mess that is Vasher trying to shove everything back into his suitcase, then makes her way delicately across the room and plops down on his bed.

Vasher raises an eyebrow. "Come to make fun of my organizational skills?"

"You should have told me you were expecting it, I could've prepared some insults just for you," Vivenna says lightly. She draws her legs up, sitting cross-legged, and draws Vasher's blanket around her. "But no, Siri said that you had to talk to me about something...?"

Vasher opens his mouth, about to argue. He never said any such thing, why would Siri say th -

Then it dawns on him.

This _is_  The Talk.

Sometime during the past two weeks, Siri must have realized that Vasher was content to let this dating time go on forever. Susebron most likely told her about their conversation too, and from there it isn't too hard to put two and two together.

Vasher is unlikely to propose of his own volition, so Siri decided to do everything in her power to make sure that he does it.

And now, here was a perfect chance.

 _Clever girl._  Vasher grimaces, then shifts so that he's as comfortable as he can be with his back against a suitcase. "I guess. I don't really know how to say it, though, so we might be here for a while."

"We've got two hours before we leave, I think that should be enough."

"If you say so."

Vasher shifts again, and decides to start talking before the look on Vivenna's face grows even more suspicious.

"When we first met, I thought that you were the most annoying thing on the planet."

Vivenna snorts. "Romantic."

"You _were_. Typical college freshman, talking about doing great things with your education, when I knew you were going to barely pass your classes. Knowing what to do is all well and good, but actually having to apply it? Different.

"I shouldn't have even been in a class full of mostly freshmen. But things happened with my schedule, and then you were so adamant on doing a project with people who were sure to get you failed - it was too depressing to watch. I had to do something.

"That was…the best decision I've made, non-academic wise. Because while I have consistently become 'the weird guy I never talked to that carried me through this project', you were insistent on becoming my friend. And then I got dragged on that first road trip, and another one, and another one…"

Vasher takes a deep breath. Vivenna watches him with wide eyes.

"Vivenna, this isn't quite what you deserve. I don't even have a ring on me, but these last few years have been the best years of my life, and - "

"Yes."

Vasher's head snaps up.

"I can't believe you would just - do this, so suddenly - " there's a smile on Vivenna's face, and it's growing larger with every passing second - "I was starting to worry that _I'd_  have to propose! And I don't care that you don't have a ring, I just care that you've finally done it, and I - "

Vivenna slides off of the bed, walks across the room, and throws half of Vasher's blanket over his head. Then she ducks under it herself, laughing at Vasher spluttering at her, and pulls him into a kiss.

It's an easy one - light, gentle, almost tentative. Lack of air makes them finally pull away, resting their foreheads against each other, hearts still in freefall.

"So is the deal still on?" Vivenna says, smile still stuck on her face.

Vasher snorts.

"Yeah. For the rest of our lives."

**Author's Note:**

> come yell at me on twitter @augustenian i have feelings


End file.
